Pumpkin Sunrise

  Good morning! I am so excited that we might get some snowflakes tomorrow, but first I have to weather the rain today. My fingers are crossed! I finished my hat and I love it. I made the extra large size. For my second hat, and there will be a second one, I will go up a needles size and down a hat size but add more length. I'll let you know when I cast on.  What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How was your weekend? My weekend was wonderful! On Saturday, my sister and I went out shopping to craft stores and spent some quality time together. In the afternoon, my husband and I went out as well to do a bit of shopping for 'boring' stuff. He needed some new rain boots for when he works outside. But it was quality time together! I was woefully behind on laundry and got all caught up this weekend. That is a satisfying feeling and it's so nice to have shirts I want to wear as opposed to having to wear. It's a mindset. After months of not painting, I pulled out my supplies and dabbled a bit. I also worked on my throw that is evolving on its own. I've added more colors since the photo. Now I'm trying to use up all of my scraps if that is possible. I do like the challenge. Sunday morning we attended Mass, afterwards I rested by knitting and reading. It was a great day! What did you do this weekend?

  Good morning! How are you?  My oh my, did I have a busy long weekend but more about that later on in the week. My knitting halted when my kids and grandkids were visiting. As soon as everyone left on Monday morning, I was digging in my knitting bag returning once again to my newly cast-on  throw that I decided to do with three skeins of yarn from stash. I have since changed my mind and am using scraps as much as possible for the throw with the light pink skein as a base. I'll let you know what I think as I go along. The uncertainty of wool amounts have me questioning this decision but I'm up for the mystery and the challenge I guess. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning to you! How are you? I'm excited about my hat that I've been knitting enjoying the sea of stockinette stitches. When I first started the hat I thought it would be too small, now I wonder if it will be too big. Gah. I will find out soon I guess. I wish the photo about showed how beautiful the colors are in real life, you'll have to trust me on this! Below is my next knitting project, the habitation throw . I will definitely use the pink and gray, I'm still not sure about that purple, I might have a look-see in my stash and do another ponder about that color. I chose this pattern because I can use up some of my stash and I adore Helen Stewart's patterns. What are you working on this week? Also: I will probably not be posting this Friday and the following Monday because of my family visiting. I hope to be back next Wednesday (unless I change my mind).

  Hello! How was your weekend? My weekend was filled with cleaning the house which set off some allergies but I am recovering. I guess when you rarely dust, then dust, you're going to go through some things. Will this make me dust more? I doubt it. Are you wondering why I'm cleaning? We have the kids (both of them) coming this coming weekend and I have tasks to do every single day leading up to Friday in the hopes that I am not doing everything the last minute.  On Saturday and Sunday, we had beautiful weather and I walked the neighborhood enjoying the blue skies and endless sunshine. I read some, I knit some and I tried to make the weekend feel like a weekend. We even ordered pizza! On Sunday after Mass, I wrote out a detailed TO DO list so I do not get overwhelmed.  I spent a ton of time on Ravelry, trying to decide on my next knitting projects and failed. I have some ideas but nothing definite. I find patterns I like but do not have the yarn, I have yarn that I like but cann

  Good morning! How are you? I forgot to take a photo yesterday of the little sweater I made for my granddaughter. You know I love fall and winter the most but there is an advantage to having more daylight is spring and summer for photoing my knitting projects. This sweater zipped on and off my needles! I did a lot of car knitting which led me to finish knitting the bulk of the yoke and body of the sweater. Once I got to the sleeves it was all downhill. I do love top/down construction just for that aspect. I knit this pattern last year for her holiday sweater so I decided to make it once more in a bigger size. I'm pleased with how it turned out. What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How are you? I am back at my ordinary life and playing the big catch up after taking some time off to be with family. We had a great time and loved seeing our grandchildren and spending time with them. Before we saw the grandchildren this weekend, I finished my grandson's holiday sweater and I had to wait for it to dry before I could take its 'finished' photo after I returned home. I love how knitting projects on size eight needles go fast! This flax pattern is a wonderful sweater that comes in many sizes. I also love knitting for little ones, the projects just fly off the needles. What are you working on this week?

  Hello! How are you doing? My knitting progress has been fantastic. I'll admit the cool weather helps motivate me immensely. First off, I finished those socks and am now done with sock holiday knitting. I like the way they turned out and will probably not knit socks until mid December for my husband, but never say never. Below is the progress of my grandson's holiday sweater . I am thoroughly enjoying this project, the yarn is divine and the pattern is easy-peasy. I hope to finish the first sleeve today. What are you working on this week?

  Hello, how are you? I'm doing pretty good, trying my best to keep busy and fill my days with the last bits of warm weather activities while anticipating the cold weather activities. Although later this week the temperature will be back into the low 70s, the next few days will be chilly. I love when fall breezes in and ebbs back out. Each time we are closer and closer to colder weather. My husband and I walked the local park over the weekend, I wanted to see the trees changing before they are past peak. As you can see, we are still early for peak colors. We were lucky because they closed the road down for some tree maintenance and that eliminated car traffic (yay!). We had a beautiful walk. Holly continues to be brave and bold since Frodo left us in August. She still checks his spot on the loveseat but doesn't look terrified when she does. Her progress has been steady. I love when she drinks from his water bowl which we have kept out for her. Gah!!  Over the weekend, I was kne

  And just like that, October shows up and gives us a breath of fresh air and a chance to wear woolens. How are you? How has your week been? I have been basking in this beautiful fall weather. Might I add chilly as well. My morning walks are quite brisk but a wonderful kind of brisk. Probably next week we will be peak fall colors. Maybe! I love being cold so I am happy and content. This week I finished a lot of my first session non-classes, phew! I signed up for a lot and I enjoyed the classes but I did not like how busy I was and how I forgot about  weekly grocery shopping. Silly! The next two weeks will be a much more manageable schedule for me and then I will start the second session of fall classes. My schedule will be easier, I won't have to gobble up a lunch in between two classes and I will have opportunities to grocery shop in the mornings once more.  Besides loving this weather, I've been working on my grandson's holiday sweater which is coming along nicely. Still

  Good morning! How are you doing today? My knitting news is quite thin, but I am knitting every day and I'm so very close to finishing these  socks which are a holiday gift. I'm confident I will finish them tonite. I've been enjoying knitting socks lately and this pair is turning out so nicely. I love the simple seed stitch bands in between the stockinette rows. (four rows seed stitch, six rows stockinette). I love anything repetitive and easy to break up the monotony of endless stockinette stitching. Also it makes it super easy to match the socks exactly without measuring. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you? My past week was filled with classes and appointments. I am ready for a super boring weekend! In the above photo are the mums (chrysanthemums) I bought in memory of dear Frodo (who I miss so much!) and they are now blooming. So far the deer are leaving them alone. Sometimes you never know what the deer will eat up.  I love seeing my flowers and remembering our sweet boy! Holly the cat is getting ever so bold and brave now that her nemesis is gone. She still checks the loveseat where he slept which I find quite funny. She is very concerned that he might be there. She now lays in sunbeams in the kitchen and comes visit me briefly while I am knitting. Maybe one day she will snuggle. I had a cardiology appointment last week to discuss shortness of breath while exercising and he decided to discontinue one of my blood pressure meds (yay) thinking that is what was causing my symptoms. As a precaution he ordered an exercise stress test which I did yesterday. Of cou

  Good morning! How are you doing?  As you know, I have scaled back on my holiday knitting and have implemented a slower pace of knitting gifts to protect my hands and wrists. Last year I had an arthritis flare up knitting gnomes which caused a self-imposed knitting ban until I recovered. Knitting is such a lovely way to handle stress and to relax for me. So I've been mindful of what I knit, how I knit and to rest more often all with the goal of always knitting and to not be in a self-imposed knitting ban.  I'm pleased with my progress! I found these little stars on Ravelry and decided they would be a wonderful little gifts for my family. They use up little bits of scrap yarn and you could go wild with the color combinations. I enjoyed knitting them and the pattern was easy to memorize after one little star. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How are you all doing on this fine Monday? Finally after weeks of no rain, we are in a rainy season. Yesterday we took a long walk in the drizzle while taking in the signs of fall. We were a little wet but it was worth the fresh air. We visited his mother earlier this week and yet again, I have no photos to share. However, once I was home I was back at the documenting my life. Whenever we are visiting people we eat out a lot and so when I get home I need to get back to healthy eating and living. There is nothing like a fresh salad except a fresh salad made by someone else. Also when we got back home I started to feed the birds with the 'winter' feeder. Word was spread within the hour and I had my birds back. I love them so. Also my hydrangea bush is heading into the fall season beautifully. Saturday morning I ran a bunch of errands and did some returning at a few stores. Once I was home, I wrote down a quote I stumbled across, then did some knitting. I'm wor

  I finished a sweater !! Honestly I'm thrilled with the way this turned out especially since I'm not knitting nearly as much as I usually do. How nice to have a finished item to wear when the weather gets chilly! Now I will be watching the forecast wishing and hoping for that autumnal breeze. What have you been working on this week?

  Good morning, how are you doing?  I am fully recovered from our trip last weekend. I spent a little bit each day catching up on chores, going to my classes and resting. I love being home! Maybe I have more gratitude towards my home life only by going away?  I spent most of yesterday afternoon on my back patio knitting away for hours (with breaks of course!). I enjoyed being by myself, listening to the birds and watching my resident chipmunks and squirrels scurry around. I was joyful and fully present.  I finished knitting my sweater! Today I will dig around for the perfect buttons and weave in those pesky ends. After that will be the great blocking spa treatment.  As you can see by the photos, fall is inching its way in and squeezing out the summer days. I am so ready for cooler weather. Most exciting of all, they are predicting some much needed rain. We have had no rain for 11-12 days and everything is looking kind of sad from it.  How do you get into a 'joyful and present'

  Good morning! My knitting news is very scant this week. I did not knit over the weekend I was so exhausted each day and even on traveling days I was too nervous to focus on my knitting or even read a book. However, I am home and I am once more knitting in the evenings. The above photo is the last pair of socks for a Christmas present (first sock). I've mentioned this before, but I've scaled back my holiday gift knitting significantly so I wouldn't be 'stressed' out and I wouldn't initiate an arthritis flare. So far this is working out for me! I am in a lot of classes this first half of the fall session. In mid October my schedule will ease up a bit and then I can dive deeply into knitting. What are you working on this week?

  Good morning! How have you been? How are your projects coming along? Even though the warm weather is trying to edge in, in my heart I am knee deep in autumn. No one can stop me! I'm on the second sleeve of my sweater, making great gains and enjoying the process. I thought the sweater might be a bit off in sizing but I tried it on and I think it's going to be okay. Also blocking does wonders squeezing out a bit of wiggle room. Phew!

  How are you?  Last night I finished that cuff and have started the second sleeve on my fall sweater. I cannot wait to wear this! Also this week we've been having cooler weather and so when I work on this sweater I do not get hot from having a big old pile of wool on my lap, it's the simplest of pleasures. I hope that we are done with heat waves, I am so ready for fall and cold weather. How are your projects coming along?

  How was your weekend? Mine is still going strong since it is Labor Day today. Yesterday after Mass we walked to a local coffee shop and I ordered a matcha latte. It was okay, I was expecting more from the drink! I'm not a drink lover over all so maybe it was me and my expectations going in.  Maybe just maybe we are over the heat waves? I can dream! I worked on my sweater and my socks through out the weekend making progress on both of them. I sat on my back patio reading both Saturday and Sunday knowing that by the end of this month it will be too chilly to do so. Usually the awning gets taken down early October. I am so looking forward to Autumn. In my heart that season is already here. I've been extending my walks trying to add more time to my outings and I've started using my left arm in my exercising routine. So far I am feeling great, just a tad weak.  How was your weekend?